Paper feeding mechanism

ABSTRACT

A paper feeding mechanism includes a frame, a pickup assembly, at least one stopper element and one resisting element. The pickup assembly mounted in the frame includes a pickup bracket, a separation element and a pickup element. The stopper element is pivotably mounted between the pickup element and the separation element, and includes a blocking portion and a stopper portion. The resisting element is pivotably mounted between the stopper element and the separation element, and includes a resisting portion and a raising portion. The pickup element wiggles upward or downward under a drive of a gear to make the resisting element wiggle upward or downward with the resisting portion resisting against the stopper portion or being away from the stopper portion to make the blocking portion block papers entering the paper feeding mechanism, or loose the blocking portion freely to let the papers enter the paper feeding mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a paper feeding mechanism, and more particularly to a paper feeding mechanism with a function of blocking papers.

2. The Related Art

A common paper feeding mechanism generally includes a pickup element, a stopper element and a paper supply tray. The stopper element is disposed at a rear of the paper supply tray for blocking papers stacked on the paper supply tray to be stuffed into the paper feeding mechanism directly, and further ensuring that the pickup element can pick up the papers stacked on the paper supply tray smoothly and steadily. As we know, the paper feeding mechanisms with a function of blocking papers have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,235B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,873B2. However, structures of the paper feeding mechanisms disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,235B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,873B2 are complex that makes manufacturing cost very high on account of complicated manufacturing procedures of the paper feeding mechanisms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding mechanism with a simple structure. The paper feeding mechanism includes a frame, a pickup assembly, at least one stopper element and one resisting element. The pickup assembly mounted in the frame includes a pickup bracket, a separation element and a pickup element. The pickup bracket is connected between the separation element and the pickup element. The stopper element is pivotably mounted to the frame, and located between the pickup element and the separation element. The stopper element includes a blocking portion, and a stopper portion protruded rearward from a rear surface of the blocking portion. The resisting element is pivotably mounted to the frame, and located between the stopper element and the separation element. The resisting element includes a resisting portion and a raising portion connecting with a front end of the resisting portion. The pickup element wiggles upward or downward under a drive of a gear to make the resisting element wiggle upward or downward with the raising portion being located on the pickup roller or away from the pickup roller, and the resisting portion resisting against the stopper portion of the stopper element or being away from the stopper portion of the stopper element so as to make the blocking portion of the stopper element block papers entering an inside of the paper feeding mechanism, or loose the blocking portion of the stopper element freely to let the papers enter the inside of the paper feeding mechanism.

As described above, the resisting element is pivotably mounted to the frame and located between the stopper element and the pickup element of the pickup assembly. The pickup element of the pickup assembly wiggles upward and downward together with the resisting portion of the resisting element under the drive of the gear to resist against the stopper portion of the stopper element or loose the stopper portion of the stopper element freely so as to realize functions of blocking the papers entering the paper feeding mechanism and pulling the papers into the inside of the paper feeding mechanism. A simple structure of the paper feeding mechanism described above is beneficial for manufacture of the paper feeding mechanism and saves manufacturing cost of the paper feeding mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper feeding mechanism in accordance to the present invention, but without a frame and a gear being shown;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pickup element of the paper feeding mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side-sectional view of a status of the paper feeding mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side-sectional view of another status of the paper feeding mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side-sectional view of again another status of the paper feeding mechanism of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side-sectional view of a paper feed status of the paper feeding mechanism of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a paper feeding mechanism in accordance with the present invention is shown. The paper feeding mechanism includes a frame (not shown), a gear (not shown), a pickup assembly 20, a pair of stopper elements 30 and a pair of resisting elements 40.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the frame includes a top cover 11 located at a top thereof and a paper supply tray 12 at a bottom thereof. Two sides of a bottom of the top cover 11 extend downward to form two limiting pillars 110. The paper supply tray 12 communicates with outside for facilitating papers being stacked on the paper supply tray 12. The gear is mounted in the frame, and used for providing a driving force to the pickup assembly 20.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the pickup assembly 20 assembled in the frame includes a pickup bracket 21, a pickup element 23 and a separation element 22. The pickup element 23 is used for contacting and pulling out the papers from the paper supply tray 12, and then transmitting the papers to the separation element 22. The pickup element 23 includes a pickup roller 231 and a pickup wheel 232 made of high friction coefficient material, such as rubber. The pickup wheel 232 is mounted around the pickup roller 231. The pickup roller 231 is pivotably mounted to one end of the pickup bracket 21. The separation element 22 is used for separating one piece of the paper from the pickup element 23 at one time, and pulling the one piece of the paper into an inside of the paper feeding mechanism. The separation element 22 includes a separation roller 221 and a separation wheel 222 made of high friction coefficient material, such as rubber. The separation wheel 222 is mounted around the separation roller 221. The separation roller 221 is pivotably mounted to the other end of the pickup bracket 21.

The pickup bracket 21 is connected between the pickup element 23 and the separation element 22. A belt 24 is looped around the pickup wheel 232 of the pickup element 23 and the separation roller 221 of the separation element 22. The pickup wheel 232 of the pickup element 23 and the separation roller 221 of the separation element 22 pivot the separation roller 221 to wiggle upward away from the papers on the paper supply tray 12 along a counter-clockwise direction, and wiggle downward towards the papers on the paper supply tray 12 along a clockwise direction under a drive of the gear.

Each of the stopper element 30 includes a pivoting portion 31, a blocking portion 32, and a stopper portion 33 protruded rearward from a rear surface of the blocking portion 32. The pivoting portion 31 is pivotably mounted to the frame through two opposite sides of the stopper portion 33 to make the stopper element 30 pivotably mounted to the frame. Meanwhile, the stopper element 30 is located between the pickup element 23 and the separation element 22. When the stopper element 30 is hung down freely, the blocking portion 32 of the stopper element 30 blocks a rear end edge of the paper supply tray 12.

Each of the resisting element 40 includes a pivoting roller 41, a resisting portion 42, and an inverted-L shaped raising portion 43 connecting with a front end of the resisting portion 42. The pivoting roller 41 is pivotably mounted to the frame through a joint of the resisting portion 42 and the raising portion 43 to make the resisting element 40 pivotably mounted to the frame. Meanwhile, the resisting element 40 is located between the stopper element 30 and the separation element 22. When the pickup element 23 is driven to wiggle upward along the counter-clockwise direction, the pickup roller 231 wiggles upward along the counter-clockwise direction to push the raising portion 43 to rise upward along the counter-clockwise direction so as to make the resisting portion 42 wiggle downward along the counter-clockwise direction to resist against the stopper portion 33.

Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, working principle of the paper feeding mechanism is described as following. When the pickup element 20 pivots the separation roller 221 to wiggle upward along the counter-clockwise direction under the drive of the gear, the pickup roller 231 wiggles upward along the counter-clockwise direction to push the raising portion 43 of the resisting element 40 to rise upward along the counter-clockwise direction so as to make the resisting portion 42 of the resisting element 40 wiggle downward along the counter-clockwise direction to resist against the stopper portion 33. At the same time, the blocking portion 32 is hung down to block the rear end edge of the paper supply tray 12 so as to prevent the papers stacked on the paper supply tray 12 from entering the inside of the paper feeding mechanism. Then the pickup element 20 pivots the separation roller 221 to wiggle downward along the clockwise direction under the drive of the gear to make the pickup roller 231 wiggle downward along the clockwise direction to apart away from the raising portion 43 of the resisting element 40, in the meanwhile, the resisting element 40 clockwise returns to an original position on account of it's own weight, and with the resisting portion 42 being blocked by the limiting pillar 110. The stopper element 30 shows a loosen status without being resisted against by the resisting portion 42 of the resisting element 40, and the blocking portion 32 of the stopper element 30 can be pushed away from the rear end edge of the paper supply tray 12 easily. When the pickup wheel 232 contacts the papers, the gear starts up the belt 24 to drive the pickup wheel 232 to roll on the papers so as to pull out the papers from the paper supply tray 12, and then one piece of the paper is pulled into the inside of the paper feeding mechanism by the separation element 22.

As described above, the resisting element 40 is pivotably mounted to the frame and located between the stopper element 30 and the pickup element 23 of the pickup assembly 20. The pickup element 23 of the pickup assembly 20 wiggles upward and downward together with the resisting portion 42 of the resisting element 40 under the drive of the gear to resist against the stopper portion 33 of the stopper element 30 or loose the stopper portion 33 of the stopper element 30 freely so as to realize functions of blocking the papers on the paper supply tray 12 and pulling the papers into the inside of the paper feeding mechanism. A simple structure of the paper feeding mechanism described above is beneficial for manufacture of the paper feeding mechanism and saves manufacturing cost of the paper feeding mechanism. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A paper feeding mechanism, comprising: a frame; a pickup assembly mounted in the frame, and including a pickup bracket, a separation element and a pickup element, the pickup bracket being connected between the separation element and the pickup element; at least one stopper element pivotably mounted to the frame, and located between the pickup element and the separation element, the stopper element including a blocking portion, and a stopper portion protruded rearward from a rear surface of the blocking portion; and at least one resisting element pivotably mounted to the frame, and located between the stopper element and the separation element, the resisting element including a resisting portion, and a raising portion connecting with a front end of the resisting portion, wherein the pickup element wiggles upward or downward under a drive of a gear to make the resisting element wiggle upward or downward with the raising portion being located on the pickup roller or away from the pickup roller, and the resisting portion resisting against the stopper portion of the stopper element or being away from the stopper portion of the stopper element so as to make the blocking portion of the stopper element block papers entering an inside of the paper feeding mechanism, or loose the blocking portion of the stopper element freely to let the papers enter the inside of the paper feeding mechanism.
 2. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resisting element further includes a pivoting roller, the pivoting roller is pivotably mounted to the frame through a joint of the resisting portion and the raising portion to make the resisting element pivotably mounted to the frame.
 3. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stopper element further includes a pivoting portion, the pivoting portion is pivotably mounted to the frame through two opposite sides of the stopper portion to make the stopper element pivotably mounted to the frame. 